Time Zones Currently Being Used in France
Offset | Time Zone Abbreviation & Name | Example City | Current Time | |
---|---|---|---|---|
UTC +1 | CET | Central European Time | Paris | Fri, 5:24:01 pm |
UTC +5 | TFT | French Southern and Antarctic Time | Port-aux-Francais | Fri, 9:24:01 pm |
Country With the Most Time Zones
With its 12 standard times, France currently holds the world record for the country with the most time zones, beating even the United States and Russia, which have 11 time zones each.
The main part of the country, France métropolitaine, which lies in central Europe and includes the capital Paris, spans only 1 time zone. The remaining 11 time zones are added by France's dependencies (France d’Outre-Mer). Please see below for a complete list.
When Saint Pierre and Miquelon observes Daylight Saving Time, it even adds a 13th local time to the count.
Time Zone Not Currently Being Observed in France
Offset | Time Zone Abbreviation & Name | Commences | |
---|---|---|---|
UTC +2 | CEST | Central European Summer Time | Mar 30, 2025 |
The above time zone is used during other parts of the year. It will become active again after the next clock change as Daylight Saving Time begins or ends.
Only the European part of France and the collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon use Daylight Saving Time (DST).
In the country's main part, Central European Time (CET) is used as standard time, while Central European Summer Time (CEST) is observed when DST is in force.
Time Zones Being Used in Dependencies of France
Offset | Time Zone Abbreviation & Name | Dependency | Type | Current Time | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
UTC -10 | TAHT | Tahiti Time | French Polynesia | Overseas collectivity | Fri, 6:24:01 am |
UTC -9:30 | MART | Marquesas Time | French Polynesia | Overseas collectivity | Fri, 6:54:01 am |
UTC -9 | GAMT | Gambier Time | French Polynesia | Overseas collectivity | Fri, 7:24:01 am |
UTC -8 | EAST | Easter Island Standard Time | Clipperton Island | Overseas territory | Fri, 8:24:01 am |
UTC -4 | AST | Atlantic Standard Time | Guadeloupe | Overseas department | Fri, 12:24:01 pm |
AST | Atlantic Standard Time | Martinique | Overseas department | Fri, 12:24:01 pm | |
AST | Atlantic Standard Time | Saint Barthélemy | Overseas collectivity | Fri, 12:24:01 pm | |
AST | Atlantic Standard Time | Saint Martin | Overseas collectivity | Fri, 12:24:01 pm | |
UTC -3 | GFT | French Guiana Time | French Guiana | Overseas department | Fri, 1:24:01 pm |
PMST | Pierre & Miquelon Standard Time | Saint Pierre and Miquelon | Overseas collectivity | Fri, 1:24:01 pm | |
UTC +3 | EAT | Eastern Africa Time | Mayotte | Overseas department | Fri, 7:24:01 pm |
UTC +4 | RET | Reunion Time | Réunion (French) | Overseas department | Fri, 8:24:01 pm |
UTC +5 | TFT | French Southern and Antarctic Time | French Southern Territories | Overseas territory | Fri, 9:24:01 pm |
UTC +11 | NCT | New Caledonia Time | New Caledonia | Overseas collectivity | Sat, 3:24:01 am |
UTC +12 | WFT | Wallis and Futuna Time | Wallis and Futuna | Overseas collectivity | Sat, 4:24:01 am |
Of France's dependencies, only Saint Pierre and Miquelon uses Daylight Saving Time.
Time Zone History of France
In 1884, the international community adopted Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) as the world's time standard. Back then, GMT was based on solar time at the prime meridian that runs through Greenwich, United Kingdom.
However, France continued to use its own standard for several decades. It was based on solar time in Paris, so local time in France was Paris Mean Time (PMT), which was 9 minutes and 11 seconds ahead of GMT. In 1911, France turned its civil time back by precisely that amount to synchronize its clocks with GMT. However, rather than officially adopting GMT as its standard time, the country now proclaimed PMT-0:09:21 as the name of its standard time zone.
In 1978, after having advanced its standard time by 1 hour to Central European Time in 1940, France adopted today's UTC standard.
Should France Use GMT?
Today, most of the European part of France uses a time zone that does not adequately reflect the solar time on its longitude. CET is based on solar time at 15° eastern longitude, which runs along the border between Germany and Poland. CEST, France's Daylight Saving Time, refers to an even less suitable solar time, at 30° longitude, which runs close to Kyiv, Ukraine.
In terms of geography, GMT or WET, which share the same local time, should be the time zone of choice for France.
Time Zone News
- 9/27/2024 – Europe Ends DST 2024
- 2/28/2024 – DST Start in Europe 2024
- 10/2/2023 – End of DST in Europe 2023
- 3/24/2023 – DST Start in Europe 2023
- 9/30/2022 – End of DST in Europe 2022
More Information
- Time Zone Converter
- Meeting Planner
- Event Time Announcer/Fixed Time
- Time Zone Abbreviations
- Time Zone News
- Daylight Saving Time